Means for adjusting tent-ropes or the like.



P. B. TOD. MEANS FOR ADJUSTING TENT ROPES ORTHE LIKE.

I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1911.

1,083,958. Patgnted Jan. 13, 1914.

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ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY BROMFIELD TOD, 0F PIETERMAR-ITZBURG, NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA, ASSIGNOR T0 FREDERIC SPENCE TATI-IAM, OF PIETERMARITZBURG, NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA.

MEANS FOR ADJUSTING TENT-ROPES OR THE LIKE.

Application filed September 18, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PnRoY Bnomrinno Too, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at Pietermaritzburg, in the Province of Natal, in the Union of South Africa, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Means for Adjusting Tent-Ropes or the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved means for adjusting tent ropes or the like and has more particular reference to slides such as are commonly employed for this purpose.

One object of my invention is to obviate the risk of a tent becoming torn on account of loose guy or brace ropes due to the slipping of the slide employed for the purpose of holding the ropes in the required position, and, further, to enable such guy or brace ropes to be shortened without obstruction on the running gear.

A further object of the invention is to en able the runner or slide to be locked it desired at any point on the guy or brace rope.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one convenient form of adjusting slide for tent ropes constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the device from one side, while Fig. 2 is a similar view from the opposite side of the device. Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing how certain adjustments hereinafter referred to may be made.

In carrying my invention into eifect in one convenient manner as, for example, in its application to a slide or runner for adjusting the guy ropes of a tent I form the improved slide a from wood, metal or other suitable material and of rectangular or other desired shape, and I prefer to attach one end of the guy rope b to the slide by means of a knot 0 or similar obstruction formed at the end of the rope which is then passed through a pair of holes d conveniently formed at one end of the slide, the rope being then carried around and passed through two or more holes 0 depending upon the amount of resistance required, situated adjacent to the other end of the slide suflicient rope being left slack to form the usual loop f which is passed around the peg g or equivalent fixing device employed in connection with the tent. In conjunction with the two sets of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

Serial No. 650,000.

holes 03 and e I provide suitable notches, grooves or channels whose functions will be hereafter described. Thus I may form at each end of the slide a pair of grooves h i for the reception of the loop formed by the cord or rope Z) passing through two of the holes or apertures at each end of the runner, the ends of the grooves or channels remote from such loops when in their normal position being connected by longitudinal grooves or channels 76 Z.

lVhen, as frequently happens, owing to the nature of the ground a guy or brace rope requires shortening without the necessity for cutting it or for forming any obstruction therein such as a sheepshank or knot this may be very simply done with the slide constructed in accordance with my invention by pulling upon the knotted end 0 of the brace rope through a length equal to that by which it is desired to shorten the guy rope as shown in Fig. 3 and the loop m (Fig. 2) is brought over into its corresponding U shaped groove formed by the grooves z and Z so that the guy or brace rope is eifectively held in its new position and the shortening is thus quickly and readily accomplished while at the same time permitting the rope to be rapidly adjusted to its original length if required.

If it is required to fix the slide or runner a at any particular part of the guy or brace rope the loop 12 (Fig. 2) is drawn through and fixed in its groove or channel formed by the grooves h and is as shown in Fig. 3 so that by this means the slide may not only be adjusted in its position upon the guy rope but will also be locked in that position and can thereby be adjusted to allow for a certain amount of shrinkage in the tent which adjustment may be made before retiring for the night without the necessity for having to go outside the tent and slacken off each guy or brace rope. This manner of locking would also be effective if used upon a tent which is adjustable from the inside.

If desired the holes and grooves in the side may be suitably protected with metal or other durable material for the purpose of preventing wear, or if the slides themselves are made of metal they could be slightly curved in order to reduce the risk of slipping, and it will be seen that by means of my invention I provide a slide orv runner which shall be simple, cheap, and thoroughly eflicient in action.

It will be obvious that I may, if desired, extend my system of grooves and apertures lwhen employing my adjusting means for different purposes, and it will further be readily understood that the invention may be equally well applied to the adjustment of yacht or boat gear or for other similar purposes.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is Rope adjusting means comprising in combination with a slide provided at one end with two holes and with a substantially U shaped groove formed on the surface of the slide and at the other end with a plurality of holes and with a substantially U shaped groove formed on the surface of the slide, a rope passing throughsaid holes and having one end provided with an obstruction and fixed at that end of the slide which is provided with two holes, whereby the shortening of the rope is effected by pulling on said end of the rope while its locking is effected by pulling on the part of the rope between said two holes and by fixing the said part in one of the U shaped grooves formed on the surface of the slide, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PERCY BROMFIELD TOD. WVitnesses GEORGE TAPPING, Jr., J. W. PATCHING.

(topic: of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

